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Cenco Electrical Device Found help needed identifying

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  1. Dec 22, 2014 #1

    logic3214

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    Reader,

    Forgive me if I break any of forum rules, as I am a newbie posting here. Today, last minute Christmas with my beloved other, I found some sort of vintage electrical device. I understand the basic principles behind what would be happening on the stand with electricity. However I am missing is the intended purpose of device or actually what it was meant to do . I wonder if the platform in the middle was meant to hold some sort of substance to be bombarded with electricity, or the platforms preforms another purpose?? I have been thorough the entire Cenco Scientific catalog and found nothing. Help Please!!! I can post more pictures or video if needed as well as more details only a small stamp on plate with number and Cenco Tag. All pictures thus far are attached.

    Thank You,
    SMG
     

    Attached Files:

    logic3214, Dec 22, 2014
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  3. Dec 23, 2014 #2

    Bystander

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    What you have is for supporting electrodes being dipped into various solutions. Sometimes for laboratory work, sometimes for plating, sometimes for just puttering around. You might check under "cell electrode holders" or something similar, electrolysis accessories, plating fixtures, something along those lines. What you've got pictured is "upside down." The coil at the end of the two pylons is dipped into a beaker, and the bakelite sits like a nice little pot lid on the top of the beaker. The piece you've got looks like someone measuring fusing currents of copper wire in transformer oil or, some similar purpose.
     
    Bystander, Dec 23, 2014
  4. Dec 23, 2014 #3

    logic3214

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    Bystander,
    Thank you I am about to do a search now.
    SMG
     
    logic3214, Dec 23, 2014
  5. Dec 23, 2014 #4

    Bystander

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    I've got one in the basement that is very similar; four terminals feeding through the lid to slit clamps for grabbing metal strips/coupons, and possibly Ag plated.
     
    Bystander, Dec 23, 2014
  6. Dec 23, 2014 #5

    logic3214

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    Would you mind if you find some free time posting a few pictures or sending to me direct. I am still having problems identifying. Looked up some different electrolysis methods but have failed to find this specific device.
     
    logic3214, Dec 23, 2014
  7. Dec 23, 2014 #6

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    Will do. Gonna be a couple days.
     
    Bystander, Dec 23, 2014
  8. Dec 23, 2014 #7

    logic3214

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    No problem sounds great, I did not want to blow any fuses before Christmas anyway. I am about to go back to the thrift shop and buy some more equipment. They have a bunch of different old school lunch box style meters, and switches etc..
     
    logic3214, Dec 23, 2014
  9. Dec 23, 2014 #8

    berkeman

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    Staff: Mentor

    Welcome to the PF.

    You might enjoy this thread that was "stickied" in the EE forum for quite a while:

    https://www.physicsforums.com/threa...and-measuring-things-etc.755959/#post-4761264

    It's about vintage electrical and electronic equipment. :-)
     
    berkeman, Dec 23, 2014
  10. Dec 28, 2014 #9

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    Here goes nuttin'. We'll see how well I can handle 21st century technology. Images show top, bottom, and designed application of the device supporting paper dummy electrodes in a beaker (probably got used more in old mayonnaise jars than in beakers).https://physicsforums-bernhardtmediall.netdna-ssl.com/data/attachments/60/60069-9ec7997b8862dcb879cfb2333a30065b.jpg [Broken]https://physicsforums-bernhardtmediall.netdna-ssl.com/data/attachments/60/60070-ed944ad21007de9d33dc30b9e225d049.jpg [Broken]https://physicsforums-bernhardtmediall.netdna-ssl.com/data/attachments/60/60072-641d48b156e46b451629f68f0d001ec3.jpg [Broken]
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited by a moderator: May 7, 2017
    Bystander, Dec 28, 2014
  11. Jan 3, 2015 #10

    logic3214

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    Interesting, I actually picked up a few items, which look more along the lines of what I see pictured above, almost identical, minus the glassware. I'm still not seeing it with the first device. The glassware for it must have looked like a fish bowl lol. Next step is to find some glass ware. Thank you for the help I'll post some more pics tomorrow. Also planning to repost to vintage equipment thread.
     
    logic3214, Jan 3, 2015
  12. Jan 3, 2015 #11

    logic3214

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    Oh by the way, thanks for the pictures. Where did you find your equipment/glass?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 3, 2015
    logic3214, Jan 3, 2015
  13. Jan 3, 2015 #12

    Bystander

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    Residue of career as a chemist.
     
    Bystander, Jan 3, 2015
  14. Jan 3, 2015 #13

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    Looking again at the first item you posted, it has a suspiciously remanufactured look to it as if someone were trying to "communicate with the inhabitants of Atlantis by dipping it in sea water samples from the Bermuda Triangle, or some similar sort of tin foil hat activity."

    A word to the wise: might be worth keeping such things in plastic bags, and handling with plastic gloves, given that we've no idea what the actual histories are in terms of who was using them with solutions of "what." The "what" for the era from which this sort of equipment (Cenco) dates is pre-WWII, and the electrochemical games being played in those days involved some rather gratuitous uses of mercury, cadmium, lead, and other heavy metals that have been demonstrated to be hazardous, and could have left enough residues to be "iffy."
     
    Bystander, Jan 3, 2015
  15. Jan 3, 2015 #14

    logic3214

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    I did not even think about that. The equipment actually came out of a small college in Alabama that closed its science department, and this woman's grandfather has been storing it since. Most of it was gone by the time I found it, but of well. I'll post some other pics of some of the other findings today if I can ever get some sleep.
     
    logic3214, Jan 3, 2015
  16. Jan 3, 2015 #15

    logic3214

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    Just out of curiosity what time is it where you are?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 3, 2015
    logic3214, Jan 3, 2015
  17. Jan 3, 2015 #16

    Bystander

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    Mountain. Freezing.
     
    Bystander, Jan 3, 2015
  18. Jan 3, 2015 #17

    logic3214

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    Gotcha Birmingham Al CTZ 0826 here and 11.11 Celcius and rainy.
     
    logic3214, Jan 3, 2015
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